Then They Do
by Silent Seraphim
Summary: A song fic to Trace Atkins' 'Then they do'. I decided to write a fic from Fujitaka-san's prospective on his children growing up.


This story is inspired by the song 'Then they do' by Trace Atkins. It's from 3rd person narrative point of view.

Disclaimer: I don't own CCS or the song. If I did, I'd be getting the royalties for this song, and I'd be rich as hell. Well, maybe not, but still, it's beyond the point.

Warnings:Slight shounen-ai.(Touya/Yuki) Reminiscing, a little angst. Kleenex warning.

~*~*~*~*~

****

In the early rush of mornin,

tryin' to get the kids to school.

One's hangin' on my shirt tail,

the other's locked up in her room,

and I'm yellin' up the stairs,

'Stop worryin' bout your hair, you look fine.'

__

Fujitaka side stepped his daughter, who was currently hanging on him, pleading with him to not make her go. He shook his head, and patted her on the shoulder. "Sakura-chan, you'll be fine. It'll be fun, and you'll make a bunch of new friends."

She gave him a glassy eyed, hopeful look. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really. It'll be fun, I promise." He sat her down at the kitchen table, and then walked over to the stairwell, and yelled, 

"Touya! You're going to be late if you don't hurry up!"

"I'm fixing my hair a second, hold on will ya?!" was the reply from the bathroom. Fujitaka rolled his eyes, and yelled. "I'm sure it looks fine! It's ten to eight! You're already going to be tardy for class!" He yelled.

Touya came skidding down the stairs, and into the kitchen about five minutes later, with freshly gelled hair, and a backpack full of summer homework.

"Can we go now?" He impatiently asked. Fujitaka sighed, and grabbed his car keys.

"Let's go. Come on, sweetie." He said, grabbing his reluctant five year old daughter's hand, leading her out to the sedan in the driveway.

"Don't forget, I have soccer practice today after school." Touya reminded, climbing into the back seat. Sakura clambered in after him, shifting uncomfortably in her school fuku as she sat down.

****

Then they're fightin' in the backseat,

and I'm playin' referee.

Now someone's gotta go, the moment that we leave.

And everybody's late, I swear I can't wait 'till they grow up.

__

No sooner than he had gotten the car started— Sakura announced that she really had to go. Touya opened the door, and grumbled something along the lines of 'Why can't she just hold it? Now I'm gonna have to hold buckets outside the class for an hour.'

Five minutes later...

**** __

"Itai!! Onii-chan! Leave me alone, baka!" Sakura grumbled, irritated by her brother's teasing.

"It isn't my fault, Kaiju. Maybe if you wouldn't eat so much—"

"ENOUGH! Both of you, just leave each other alone!" Fujitaka yelled from the drivers seat, shaking his head. He felt like banging it into the steering wheel. 

"There's nothing like playing referee to a bout of sibling rivalry." He muttered, waiting for the light over head to turn green. He drummed his fingers on the steering column, and watched the little girl, and the teenager in the back seat duke it out.

"Onii-san, you're mean!"

"I'll take that as a compliment." The dark haired teenager replied, holding her hat just out of her reach.

"Man... I can't wait until these two grow up... Then I won't have to deal with this any more." Fujitaka grumbled, stopping in front of the elementary.

"Well, here's your stop, Sakura-san. Touya, I want you to meet her here at the end of the day, and walk her home. I have to stay late, there's a staff meeting. So, I won't be home for dinner either."

"But dad! I have soccer practice today!"

"Well, I don't want Sakura going home alone. It will not kill you to skip one practice. And quit scaring her with your ghost stories." Fujitaka warned, smiling at his children. "Be good, sweetheart. Have a good time. I'll see you when I get home." 

Touya glared at his younger sister, who only stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut it, Kaiju." He grumbled, as his father's car pulled away from the driveway.

****

Then they do,

And that's how it is,

It's just quiet in the mornin'

Can't believe how much you miss,

all they do, and all they did.

You want all the dreams they dreamed of

to come true.

Then they do.

Now the youngest is starting college,

she'll be leavin' in the fall.

And Brianna's latest boyfriend,

called to see if we could talk.

I got the impression, that he's about to

pop the question any day.

__

"And in the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr. "Free at last, free at last, thank god almighty we're free at last!" Sakura shouted into the microphone in front of her graduating class. 'Pomp and Circumstance' began to play again in the background, and the headmaster walked up to the podium.

"And it is my great honor, with the power invested in me by the Tomoeda School board, and the Tokyo Board of Education, That I give you the graduating class of 2000!"

Cheering went up throughout the entire gymnasium, and caps went flying. Sakura ran over to her father, Touya, and Yukito, who stood smiling at her. She glomped her brother, who ruffled her hair in response to the bone crushing hug. "Well... you made it, even though you despised me for not helping you with every single problem you couldn't figure out." Touya teased, grinning. Sakura let go of her brother, and shook Yukito's hand. She blushed a little bit. There were still bits and pieces of her past crush on the older boy lingering around.

"Thanks for helping where my idiot brother couldn't. I appreciate it." She grinned, and then finally turned to Fujitaka. And with a teary smile, she gave him a hug.

"I really couldn't have gotten this far if it hadn't been for you, dad. Thanks." She said, as he hugged her back.

He smiled, and broke away. "Well... now it's time to go out on your own... But, you'll always be my little girl." He muttered. She didn't hear him, but it didn't matter.

"I just hope everything you dreamed of, comes true." 

****

~*~*~*~*~*~

__

"Moshi-moshi? Kinomoto Fujitaka desu." Fujitaka looked at the caller ID on the table.

"Ah... Koban'wa Yukito-san. How are you? I haven't heard from you in a while."

The slightly nervous sounding voice on the other line gave a shaky laugh. "Well.. I haven't had the chance to see anyone lately, besides Sakura-chan, and that's only been for a few seconds." 

"There's been trouble?" Fujitaka asked, slightly concerned. If Yue was appearing, then something was definitely wrong. "Yes, but they managed to stop anything really serious from happening. No one got hurt, besides a few minor scrapes or bruises... and my broken left arm."

"I'm going to save myself a headache and not even bother to ask how that happened. And I have the feeling, that you weren't calling about that, were you?" Fujitaka asked, smiling slightly.

Yukito froze, and gulped loudly. "Well...er, I—ah... I... I want to ask for your approval on something."

Fujitaka smiled. "If it's about getting married to Touya, I'm all for it." he could almost picture the fair haired man's reaction.

"Really?!"

"Honestly, I was beginning to wonder if either of you would get the courage to just ask me for my blessing."

"Uh.. thank you, Kinomoto-san..."

"I just hope you're mutual in this whole thing. I only hope you find happiness."

"Thank you... Kinomoto-san. It means a lot to me. I mean, everything you've ever done for me... all of it—"

"I've always seen you as the other son I never had. There was always something about you that reminded me of myself when I was younger. Probably your glasses." Fujitaka joked.

Yukito laughed. "Maybe, but I'm thankful I met you, and your family. Otherwise— I don't know where I'd be."

Fujitaka looked at the clock on the wall. "Sorry, I have to cut this conversation short, Yukito-san, but I have a class to teach in an hour, and I still have some papers to correct. But, if you ever need to talk to me about anything, leave a message. I'll call you back."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Bye."

"Ja ne." 

****

I look over at thier pictures, sittin' in thier frames.

I see them as babies, I guess that'll never change.

You pray all thier lives, someday they will find happiness.

__

Fujitaka looked over at the pictures adorning the walls of the house. Several of them were school photos... memoirs of the kids childhood. Others were pictures of them as babies, and finally thier graduation pictures. The memories of Sakura's first steps, and Touya's first words flashed through his mind, bringing tears to his eyes.

His gaze lingered on one photo of the four of them together. Himself, Nadeshiko, baby Sakura, and an eight year old Touya, as a family, in front of a Sakura tree. It had been taken just before Nadeshiko had become sick.

The memory of that, was hard to keep tears from coming. Nadeshiko had been the love of his life, and she'd given up everything to be with him. And she'd died... 

He remembered the words she'd said before she'd passed away. He was the only one of them with her when she passed on... Touya wouldn't have been able to handle it, and Sakura was too young to understand what was happening to her momma.

'Although my time with you has been short, I'm happy I got to spend it with the people I love the most. I may not be here, physically. But I'll always be watching over you. I love you all, so much. Please, don't cry for me. I'm finally going to be at peace... knowing you will be alright without me. You're a strong person, Fujitaka. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. Give the kids my love... and remember this... I lived my life the best I could. And I'm happy with that.'

Shortly after that, Sakura and Touya had come in, and hugged thier mother one last time. She fell into a coma, and two days later, as Fujitaka held her hand, she died.

He gave that photo one last look, stepped outside and looked to the starlit sky.

"I miss you..." He muttered, before walking to his car. Meanwhile, the beautiful apparition of a young woman waved after him. Blowing him a kiss.

"I miss you too..."

****

Then they do,

and that's how it is.

It's just quiet in the mornin',

can't believe how much you miss,

all they do, and all they did,

you want all the dreams they dreamed of 

to come true.

Then they do.

No more Monday PTA's,

no carpools or soccer games.

Your work is done.

Now you got time that's all your own,

you've been waitin' for so long,

For those days to come.

~*~*~*~*~

__

He found himself sitting at the kitchen table, just thinking about things he missed. It was so strange... not having anyone in the house but himself. He found himself imagining that Sakura would come screeching into the kitchen, to wolf down at least half of her breakfast, at any second. And, that Touya would be sitting next to him, gulping down a scalding hot cup of coffee, and making fun of his younger sister about her tardiness, or reading the paper. 

"It's funny... you want them to grow up, and then when they finally do, you want them to be little kids again." he muttered, smiling. "Sakura always wanted to be a nurse... and now look at her. She's going to take her final examination pretty soon... and she's getting married as well. I already gave one away... and now i'm letting the other one go."

"I just hope that they find the same happiness that me and Nadeshiko had... however short lived it may have been." He sighed.

"And finally, I hope thier dreams come true. I know mine did." He smiled, looking out the window to where he imagined the sight of his two children, chasing each other through the yard, the sounds of a time long passed disappating with the wind.

****

Then they do,

and that's how it is.

It's just quiet in the mornin',

can't believe how much you miss,

all they do, and all they did.

You want all the dreams they dreamed of

to come true.

Then they do...

Oh—and then they do.

_~*Owari*~_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authors notes: This was relatively hard to write. But, I really think I did a decent job on this. I cried while I wrote the flashback where Fujitaka remembers what Nadeshiko said.(Which I completely made up off the top of my head.)

I think the hardest thing to get into this fic, was the feeling of wanting something more. The song is supposed to make you think about things that happened before. I'm not even a parent, and it makes me cry. So, for those of you who are older than me, and have kids, maybe you could relate to this.

I kind of based some of this on real life experiences. The whole car scene— That actually happened. My older brother didn't want to go get me after school because he had soccer practice, and my dad got really mad at him, because he was being a selfish jerk. I didn't feel like using explicatives.(Which my dad uses in excess sometimes) They weren't needed to get the point across, and it doesn't fit Fujitaka's personality well to use them.

I really tried to keep things in character, although the few things I know about Fujitaka are that he's more of a calm, and collected father. The kind that sort of acts like a candle, and the moths are attracted to the flame.(If you can see where I'm coming from in this strange analogy.)

Well— anyway, if you liked it, please do me a favour, and review this. I worked hard on it, and I would really appreciate some feedback.

Thank you—

Xan Yu


End file.
